1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to building elements such as columns and beams and, more particularly, to metal building elements having side flanges extending from webs formed with constrictions and to building element assemblies formed therewith.
2. Brief Discussion of the Related Art
Metal sheets can be formed via a cold folding process into various irregular shapes or profiles. Cold folding of metal sheets typically involves two-dimensional deformation of the metal sheets. The folding that can be effected from plastic deformation of metal sheets in a cold folding process is preferable to other currently existing metal shaping or forming processes, such as a sealing press or a deep drawing press, since it allows a greater variety of shapes or profiles to be obtained, including a great variety of irregular shapes or profiles. A variety of shapes or profiles can be successfully obtained with metal sheets via a cold folding process where b/s  greater than 5, with s being the thickness of the sheet and b being the length of the sheet.
Metal sheets have been cold folded into shapes or profiles of great variety and high quality using sheet folding machines, as has been accomplished in the construction and steel industries, in the shipbuilding industry, in small and medium-sized industries and even in handicraft workshops. Considering this diversity, the publication by Siebel and Beisswanger of their studies of pressing, and the calculations performed by the Forschungsgesellschaft Blechverarbeitung (Society for Research on Sheet Production), it seems appropriate to view cold folding not just as a process but also as the sheet folding machine=s contribution to the demand for specific profiles.
In the area of construction, building elements made from shaped metal sheets have been assembled to form structural beams and columns for use as permanent supports in buildings or similar structures. Building elements having various irregular shapes or profiles have been used, including those having side flanges extending from webs formed with constrictions as represented by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,082,792 to Dean, 2,125,690 to Ragsdale et al, 2,508,032 to Kennedy, 2,975,874 to Pagan, 4,109,440 to Bill and 5,464,302 to Menchetti. The constrictions extend from the webs about the same distance as the side flanges (Dean and Kennedy), about half the distance of the side flanges (Ragsdale et al and Menchetti), considerably less than one-third the distance of the side flanges (Pagan) or greater than the distance of the side flanges (Bill). In many of the building elements, the constrictions do not have rounded or curved corners. Furthermore, the height of the constrictions is either considerably large in proportion to the overall height of the building elements, as represented by Dean, Ragsdale et al, Kennedy, Bill and Menchetti, or is considerably small in proportion to the overall height of the building elements, as represented by Pagan.
Components made from shaped metal sheets have been proposed as supports for purposes other than buildings or similar structures. U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,149 to Haynes et al, for example, illustrates shaped metal components assembled as a form for poured concrete. U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,000 to Howard et al discloses shaped metal components assembled to form beams used in storage or pallet racks. The components of Haynes et al and Howard et al include constrictions formed in the webs thereof; however, the components are not designed to withstand the same loads as structural beams or columns used in buildings or similar structures. The constrictions disclosed by Haynes et al extend from the webs about the same distance as the side flanges and do not have rounded corners. The constriction disclosed by Howard et al forms the entire web, and the height of the constriction is considerably large in proportion to the overall height of the component.
Conventional shaped metal building elements possess numerous disadvantages including the inability to be used individually as beams and/or columns, the need for extraneous components or parts in order to assemble the building elements to form structural members such as beams and columns, the need for additional components or parts to impart stability and/or rigidity to the building elements, the inability to resist high compression, traction and tension, the constrictions being either too large or too small to achieve optimum strength and rigidity, the building elements not being lightweight, and complexity in manufacture and assembly resulting in high construction costs.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of prior art shaped metal building elements. Another object of the present invention is to provide shaped metal building elements usable individually as beams and/or columns or in combination to form beam and/or column assemblies.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a shaped metal building element having a geometric profile presenting increased resistance to compression, traction and tension.
A further object of the present invention is to increase the loading capacity of a standard structural steel member by forming a constriction in the web of the standard structural steel member.
The present invention also has as an object to provide a plurality of shaped metal building elements capable of being assembled in various ways to form various beam and/or column assemblies.
It is also an object of the present invention to increase the loading capacity of a shaped metal building element by forming protrusions in the side flanges of the building element.
Yet another object of the present invention is to utilize a cold folding process to form a shaped metal building element having side flanges extending from a web formed with at least one constriction having rounded corners.
The aforesaid objects are achieved individually and in combination, and it is not intended that the present invention be construed as requiring two or more of the objects to be combined.
Some of the advantages of the present invention are that the building elements have greater rigidity and stability, the building elements can be of any desired length, the building elements can be manufactured automatically such as with high capacity shaping rods, the building elements have an optimum resistance-to-weight ratio, the building elements are lighter than conventional shaped metal building elements, the building elements and the building element assemblies formed therewith comply with current anti-seismic and structural steel regulations, displacements caused by seismic loads are limited or controlled due to the moment of inertia characteristics of the building elements, the number, shape, and size of the constrictions can be varied in proportion with the overall height and width of the building elements and in accordance with the particular architectural design and structural loading requirements for buildings or other similar structures in which the building elements are used, plural building elements can be assembled in a manner to accommodate construction components such as electrical wiring or cables and/or plumbing, the building elements can be shaped so as to provide a mechanical joint or connector facilitating connection with other building elements and/or with other structural members such as wall, floor, ceiling and window structures, the building elements can be reasonably priced, construction waste is minimized and construction costs are reduced.
These and other objects, advantages and benefits are realized with the present invention as generally characterized in a building element for use as a beam or a column and including a profile of substantially uniform cross-section extending lengthwise between first and second ends. The profile is defined by a web, a pair of side flanges extending perpendicular to the web and curved outer corners joining the side flanges, respectively, to the web. The web includes at least one constriction extending in the same direction as the side flanges and having a pair of arms extending angularly inwardly toward one another from curved inner corners of the web to a curved base having an apex. The side flanges extend from the outer corners to tips, respectively, terminating at side edges, respectively. The building element has an overall width between the web and the tips and the at least one constriction has a width between the web and the apex that is about ⅓ the overall width. The web may include planar segments between the outer and inner corners. The web may include a plurality of constrictions, and may include planar segments between the constrictions. Where the web includes a plurality of constrictions, the inner corners of each constriction may be joined to the inner corners of adjacent constrictions and/or the outer corners may be joined to corresponding inner corners. The side flanges may include protrusions therein, and the protrusions may extend outwardly or inwardly. The tips may be curved outwardly away from one another or inwardly toward one another.
A building element assembly according to the present invention is generally characterized by at least a first building element and a second building element assembled in web-to-web relation. Another building element assembly according to the present invention is generally characterized by at least a first building element and a second building element assembled in tip-to-tip relation. The building element assemblies are usable as beam assemblies or column assemblies. Various additional building elements can be assembled to the first and second building elements of the building element assemblies to obtain various diverse building element assemblies. Where the first and second building elements are assembled in tip-to-tip relation, the tips of the first and second building elements are in abutment, and the side edges may be in abutment. Where the first and second building elements are assembled in web-to-web relation, one or both of the first and second building elements may be used as a mechanical joint or connector for another structural member such as a wall structure, a floor structure, a ceiling structure, and/or a window structure. Where the first and second building elements are assembled in web-to-web relation and have outwardly curved tips, the first and second building elements together form a mechanical joint or connector for another structural member.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like parts in each of the several figures are identified by the same reference characters.